My nose and mouth were covered with a wet a bandana and in my hands the weapon of choice: a metal rake. At the ripe age of ten I was ready for the magnificent moment ahead. Each fall in Wood Glen on Saturday everyone in the neighborhood would herd their leaves to the road and simultaneously would set them ablaze. It was glorious to the eyes of a child!

Smoke is usually loaded with negative baggage, as is the word “fall.” However, this time of year is filled with freshness and excitement, like a child being set loose from the last day of school. There is anticipation with the changing of season. After the long, hot summer days of mowing yards and working the fields, it is as if the world is about to take a long sigh and settle in for a rest. We all enjoy vacations, but there is also something restful about returning home to the same old wing-backed chair and familiar routine. And the fall is that last ten miles of the drive before pulling into your driveway.

Every girl wants to be close with her father, and as the second of three children and the oldest of two girls, I quickly discovered that the key to being with my daddy was to work along side him. In a neighborhood like Wood Glen, the fall was an opportune time to be with my dad. Even after raking for an entire day, we would turn around only to see more leaves had fallen behind us. The trees seemed to mock us, requiring the payment for a summer of shade by shedding their leaves.

For me, the payment was minimal. I am sure that there were days when my parents ordered me from the house with me whining and dragging my feet, but in retrospect those crisp mornings with the soft sound of the rake were some of the best. It was during these times that I saw the work ethic that made my father great. He was revered in the university for his hard work, great mind and gentle demeanor, but I received the back stage pass.

As we raked and jumped into piles of leaves he told us about his childhood, lessons he had learned, and what he hoped to be. He was steady and sincere, hoping to give us a leg up into the world with his heartfelt insight. The cool breeze of fall awakens the skin and energy, but the poignant thoughts from Dad to us children awoke the mind to thoughts of kingdom and remembrance.

I am certain that part of my love for the fall is due to my dad, along with the arrival of apple cider, harvested fields and football games. I also owe to him a deep rooted faith and a budding love for hard work, both of which I hope to impart to my own children this fall.

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